Bullet train authority steps up hiring to fill long-vacant posts

An artist's rendering of a bullet train on the California coast.

Plugging long-standing vacancies in its management team, the agency that plans to build the state bullet train system announced Monday the hiring of a chief administrative officer and seven other individuals to fill a variety of top executive posts.

The California High-Speed Rail Authority “is making major strides in putting in place an experienced management team to significantly improve its operations. Today marks a major milestone in achieving our staffing goals,” said Jeff Morales, the agency’s chief executive, who was hired in June.

Before the current round of hiring, the slow pace of filling key administrative positions at the authority as well as its small staff had been criticized by members of the state Senate, the authority’s peer review group and other oversight panels, such as the state Legislative Analyst’s Office.